SLIDE 2
Multicultural Character
Element of Improvisation
A blend of many elements from many cultures – Birth at the turn of the 20th century
in America
Blues, ragtime, march, and other music stemming from Creole, AfricanAmerican, white, and Latino musical traditions – later jazz musicians would
incorporate classical music elements as well as rock and roll elements into the
compositions.
These elements help define the various sub styles of jazz, but the two main elements
are still its multicultural character and the use of improvisation
In jazz, it isn’t so important what the piece of music is – but more so what the
performer does with the musical lines (inflection/improvisation etc…)
SLIDE 3
Although jazz is considered a blend of different musical styles, two of those styles
are the most import are – Blues and Ragtime
Blues:
12 Bar structure, emphasis on musical improvisation in the “breaks” of the
vocal line – provided the model for early vocal jazz – and – to some degree, nonvocal jazz.
Ragtime
Originally an entirely instrumental style – and its unprecedented popularity
from its origins in 1890s until about the time of WWI paved the way fro all AfricanAmerican music that followed
SLIDE 4
Jazz and Ragtime used interchangeably at the beginning
Published piano works made this genre remembered for its emphasis on piano.
In fact – this remembrance was due to the immense popularity of the living room
piano in the middle class American households of the 19th century
Piano production and purchase doubled and the tripled in the years following 1890
reaching a peak of 350,000 in 1909
SLIDE 5
Rag elements and form
The form (DiAGRAM – p. 69)
Sousa and the March – Play Washington Post Example
Strains (usually 16 measures long)
Made up of 4 phrases of 4 measures each
Trio – somewhere in the middle of the rag – with much more syncopation in
the right hand (the higher end of the piano)
Syncopation
First publication 1897 – but it was Scott Joplin’s maple Leaf Rag that was the most
popular! (LISTENING) – ID elements – AA BB CC (TRIO) DD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc
SLIDE 6
Dixieland Jazz
Ragtime pieces for a larger group of instruments
Performers probably couldn’t read music – so the form had a very general structure
and this also led to much more improvisation
Played in the Blues from and style (including the improvised sections)
The most important influence of Dixieland was the music of New Orleans
SLIDE 7
Diverse lineage (French, Spanish, French, US (Louisiana purchase), port city of the
Carrabean, settlers from Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, and Scotland
Major port in the slave trade – as a result huge African American influence
After the Civil War, Louisiana became a popular place for African American
“fraternaties” – almost kinds of semi-secret clubs – these clubs had small bands
made up of brass, woodwind, drums and bass instruments – ended up being dance
bands for the community
Buddy Bolden – the “father of jazz”
Cornet (trumpet) player and dance band leader – huge use of syncopation
with his dance bands
Led to Jelly Roll Morton (piano) and Joe “King” Oliver (cornet/trumpet) being band
leaders out of New Orleans
Original Dixieland Five – first Dixieland band recordings – they were a white band
from New York City - recorded in 1917
Why a white band? Discrimination (left over) and politics
At the time – widely believed that African Americans only liked music written by
African Americans and whites only interested in music by whites
SLIDE 8
Instrument Roles
1 melody (trumpet)
1 Decoration (clarinet/sax)
1 mid range with glissandos – smearing between notes
1 bass line (bass or tuba)
rhythm – Drums, banjo, piano, guitar
Diagram p. 74
Flat Four Meter – only the downbeats of each measure not beats 2 and 4 (backbeat)
as is found in later jazz
LISTEN – Tiger Rag
Slide 9
1920s - prohibition – alcohol was illegal! Chicago became the moonshine capital of
the United States – and where there was illegal alcohol, there was jazz.
Louis Armstrong
Huge in establishing the recognizable jazz form.
SLIDE 10
Jazz tune organization diagram (78)
Main theme = Head – straight ahead with little improve
Sets up the format for the following solo sections – uses the same chords (not unlike
the blues chords format)
Solos – done over specific chord changes and the solists are making choices about
which notes to play and which ones to leave out.
Good soloist = originality, variation, rhythm and timbres,
Trading fours – two instruments soloing every four measures
Scat singing – a solo on the voice using stylized syllables
LISTENING West End Blues
Comment on Armstrong’s trumpet solo
#10 on p. 81 – lead instrument identification
SLIDE 11
Swing
All of the jazz we have listened to so far is known as “Combos” small groups playing
jazz – one person on each instrument
BUT – all through this time period - there was another type of ensemble with 20 or
sometimes even 30 musicians with different SECTIONS – for example 2-5 trumpets
and trombones etc
These ensembles were called “Big Bands”
The rhythm subdivision diagrams and examples – p. 82
DRAW ON BOARD – the new “Swing Rhythm”
MORE POLISHED, SMOOTH, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY
-Reflected the more upscale nature of both the musicians and the new
listening audience.
SLIDE 12
Rhythm
Melody – more tuneful – based on popular music of the time – melodic material =
riff based
Texture – Big Bands played a smooth homophonic texture - VERY different from the
Dixieland texture diagram
Freewheeling group improvisation of the Dixieland bands disappear
Timbre and Instrumentation
piano)
3-5 trumpets, 3-4 trombones, 3-5 sax, rhythm section (bass, guitar, drums,
No more Clarinet (some bandleaders used this – Benny Goodman) – No more
Tuba

Similar to the Head, Solos, and Head form
SLIDE 13
32 Bar song from
built on 4, 8 bar phrases in the pattern of AABA.
Band differences – the band is much more active during the solo sections –
interjecting short melodic segments (Riffs) to accompany the solos
MUCH more complex than Dixieland form
Other elements
Musicians now could read music and worked from CHARTS – written parts
for the band – the ARRANGER took the leadership position – sometimes not even
playing in the band!
Arranger/bandleader – Duke Ellington – piano and arranger of the “Charts”
LISTENING – It Don’t Mean A thing!
FORM – (AABA – initially – stop after it fulfills this obligation) who plays the tune
(sings) in each section
What does the band do while the singer sings? How does the tune end?
SLIDE 14
Musicians hating the restrictions of big band group playing and often took the most
pleasure from playing in unofficial “Jam “ sessions
Developed into “cutting sessions” the challenge to be more virtuostic than the
previous player! Helped develop the complexity of the solos and pattern of the
improvisation
Eventually took over the mainstream jazz
Led to Bebop
Charlie Parker (sax) and Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet)
Complex, virtuostic breed of jazz – left many listeners confused because of
the complexity of the music
SLIDE 15
Rhythm – FAST! The defining element of bebop
Melody – angular and disjunct
Harmony – VERY complex – addition of unusual and EXTENDED chords

Not 3 notes, but 5, or six notes

Fast tempos – means harmonies change quickly as well
SLIDE 16
Timbre and Instrumentation
Combos varied in size and usually didn’t have more than 5 or 6 musicians
Sax, trumpet, string bass, piano, and drum set
Guitar – when used moved to a melodic instrument rather than
accompanying
Drum set – moved to the suspended cymbal for timekeeping instead of the
snare drum
Form – the only element LESS complex than swing
Usually followed the traditional jazz format shown before (Head, solo, head)
Difference – the solos were repeated many, many times before returning to
the head – sometimes as much as 10 minutes worth!
Other elements – musicians had a sense of humor – often quoting each others
improvisations in their own
LISTENING – Charlie Parker – “Mohawk”
Q from page 89 –
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #9, #10 (Diagram)
SLIDE 17
Cool Jazz
Counter reaction to the Hard Bop movement of the 1940s – opposite side of the
spectrum –
Led by Miles Davis (trumpet)
More contemplative, relaxed ambiance
Solos less explosive – more focused on exact note placement – responded to
through light drum characters.
Experimental – new meters (5/11), new timbres (new instruments – Horn,
Vibes…)advanced harmony, more compositional types of form
LISTENING – Freddie Freeloader
SLIDE 18
Free Jazz
SLIDE 19
Fusion